Roddick heads U.S. Davis Cup team against India

Teenager Andy Roddick, veteran Todd Martin and Wimbledon doubles champions Don Johnson and Jared Palmer were named on Tuesday in the U.S. squad to take on India in a Davis Cup qualifying tie later this month.

The United States must win the match, which will be held October 12-14 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in order to stay in the Davis Cup World Group in 2002 and be eligible to compete for the championship.

U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe can still substitute for two of the four nominated players up to one hour before the draw ceremony, which will take place on October 11.

"The naming of these four players is a technicality at this point," McEnroe said. "I will chose the four competitors by one hour before next Thursday's draw ceremony, as dictated by the rules of the ITF."

James Blake and Robby Ginepri will travel with the U.S. squad as practice partners and potential substitutes.

Roddick, 19, captured his first three titles this year, cementing his reputation as heir apparent to Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi by taking eventual champion Lleyton Hewitt deep into the fifth set in last month's U.S. Open quarter-finals.

Roddick made his Davis Cup debut in February in a 3-2 first- round loss to Switzerland, beating George Bastl in a dead rubber.

That opening-round defeat forced the United States into the qualifying tie.

Martin, 31, has represented the United States in the Davis Cup every year since he made his debut against India in the first round in 1994. He has an 11-8 record in singles.

Palmer, 30, is 2-3 in Davis Cup doubles, while Johnson, 33, will be making his competition debut against India.

Johnson and Palmer won Wimbledon and reached the U.S. Open doubles final this year.

India will be led by the top doubles team of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi.